Russia's new medium-airlift military transport aircraft to make its first flight in 2023

Several dozen An-12s will have to be replaced in the armed forces in the coming decade

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MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. The Il-276 medium-airlift military transport aircraft, earlier known as the Russian-Indian project dubbed the "Multipurpose Transport Aircraft," is anticipated to make its maiden flight in 2023, head of the Program for the Medium-Airlift Military Transport Aircraft at Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Igor Bevzyuk, said in an interview with TASS.

"In December, we will start a detailed design for the Il-276. According to our plans, we will have concluded design work, prepared production and made the first flight by the first quarter of 2023, we will have finished the work itself and designated it by 2025. And by 2026 we will have begun batch deliveries to the army," he said.

The timeline for developing the new plane, its tests and batch production "remains relatively tight;" once the service life of An-12 planes start approaching their end by 2023, the Il-276s will replace them," Bevzyuk noted.

"According to preliminary assessments, several dozen An-12s will have to be replaced in the armed forces in the coming decade," Bevzyuk noted.